Method of and apparatus for mounting a mirror to a rotatable shaft

Abstract

A mirror is mounted to a rotatable shaft by means of an adapter with a tubular end section and a slot at the other end. An end of the shaft is inserted into this tubular section an a protruding part of the mirror is centrally inserted in the slot. The external surface of the tubular section is tapered which matches the tapered inner surface of a clamp ring disposed around the adapter. By pressing the clamp ring longitudinally, the tubular section of the adapter becomes fastened around the shaft.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for mounting a mirror formed with a protruding part securely to a rotatable shaft, comprising an adaptor having a mirror-accepting end part formed with a slot for envelopingly accepting said protruding part and a shaft-accepting part at the opposite end from said mirror-accepting end part, said shaft-accepting part being tubular and slitted with a hollow interior into which an end of said shaft is slidingly insertable and having a tapered exterior surface outside said hollow interior, and   a clamp ring having a tapered inner surface matching said tapered exterior surface of said adaptor, said clamp ring being disposed around said tubular shaft-accepting part and slidable along said tapered exterior surface parallel to said shaft so as to secure said adaptor to said shaft with said shaft inserted into said hollow interior.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said clamp ring is disposed coaxially around said end section of said adapter. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said clamp ring is disposed coaxially with said shaft. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said clamp ring has an evenly distributed mass. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said adapter is generally cylindrical in shape and has an evenly distributed mass. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said clamp ring is knurled on external surfaces. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an outer ring disposed around said clamp ring. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said tapered exterior surface surrounds said tubular end section. 
     
     
       9. A method of mounting a mirror formed with a protruding part to a rotatable shaft comprising the steps of inserting an end of said shaft into a tubular shaft-accepting end section of a generally cylindrical adaptor with its mass evenly distributed around a central axis thereof and a slot formed in a mirror-accepting end section opposite from said shaft-accepting end section, said tubular end section having a tapered external surface,   fastening said mirror to said adaptor by inserting said protruding part centrally into said slot, and   fastening said adaptor around said shaft by placing a clamp ring around said tubular shaft-accepting end section of said adaptor, said clamp ring having an inner surface which is tapered matchingly to said tapered external surface of said adaptor and pushing said clamp ring slidingly on said tapered external surface substantially parallel to said shaft.   
     
     
       10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of applying an adhesive material where said protruding part of said mirror is inserted into said slot after the center of mass of said mirror is aligned with said central axis of said adapter.